Facebook good or bad?

[Bodhi]

What do you guys think?
I feel it definitely has its advantages, but at the same time it feels like I'm just wasting my time while I'm using it.

Some of the advantages i can think of are.
-How its super convenient to talk to people using chat.
-Writing on walls having people write on yours creates social proof.
-You can learn alot about someone easily.
-Easier to stay in the loop in whats happening around different social circles.

Disadvantages
-Spend too much of my time there accomplishing nothing.
-Makes it too easy to care about little things happening around you.. maybe start comparing yourself to others too.

Let me know what you guys think, tell me what advantages/disadvantages are surrounding it. I know there are more disadvantages for sure, but I'm too tired to think of them.
Just started noticing the people who are the most successful socially and with women don't even use facebook that often or don't even have it.

 

[jeffthechef]

ok you're going to get both side of this answer i'm sure
but i'm not a facebook user
here's my reasoning for whether you should get one or not

if you're using it to keep in touch with family and long distance FRIENDS...then sure get it...cause it's useful..

if you're using it to get chicks, there are pros and cons
pros are that if you meet a girl that's interested...and you haven't gotten her number and she's tired of waiting...meaning you're still an AFC really cause you haven't number lcosed after a long time...then she'll probably be able to find you on facebook and things can get started..

That's really the only pro i can think of

I think it is convenient as a chat method..but bad as a chat method..
Sure it's convenient but why not just talk in person and get together...i doubt you'd need to facebook post your guy buddies...cause you probably got their IM's..or numbers...and why talk to girls online...just meet em in person

i don't believe in online social proof...or real social proof to be honest...it's useless and based off of things I realllly don't believe in...why not be friends with people who have good hearts and will help improve YOU...and simply be happy with that....these people are worth being around, and they don't require you to be popular..because they're not shallow

You can learn about someone easily..but why not just learn about htem gradually in person...isn't that the point of outings?..to build a relationship possibly..or simply have fun

staying in the loop, as in gossip?...waste of time...don't waste your hs life on gossip

i agree iwth your disadvantages though..hah

you should really try to get away from technology when it comes to the ladies..stick to approaching in person..getting numbers..and setting up outings
that's the good pure old fashioned way...you don't need facebook

Facebook for keeping in touch with people you don't see often is fine.
Facebook for getting girls is for those AFC's who can't cut it approaching in person because they're still AFC's or they're afraid to even do so.

 

[War Against Betaism]

I love facebook but I'm not like some other idiots who spend their time becoming a fan of this and this and this, playing farmville or Mafia Wars, and filling out various surveys and questions. It's a great way to keep in contact with your friends and seeing what they've been up to. I have like 100 pending requests for various groups and applications and 50 unread inbox messages for club events I don't want to go to. It's easy to avoid the "disadvantages" of facebook as long as you have the will to stay away from them.

As for your concern about caring about things that don't matter, isn't that a good indication of your character? Not saying that you fall into that label, but if you're afraid of being susceptible to it, then it shows that you should probably work on your "not caring" abilities.

 

[thedude4242]

I dont have one. I think if you can have a certain attitude where you do your own thing while still being interesting and fun can say something. not having a facebook has been said to make you more mysterious. getting on most people facebook, especially women, tell you a lot about them. I personally think you can learn more about woman from their myspace than facebook because you can customize it and have the option to put a lot more information. you can see pics of them and what they do. this could either build more attraction or take it away. facebook pretty much is a tool to promote yourself and give off a fake persona about yourself which everyone loves doing. I personally think facebook has and is ruining society.

 

[Bodhi]

not having a facebook has been said to make you more mysterious.

I really agree with this the last girl i dated got rid of her fb about halfway through, and even though we texted/called each other it does make a person more mysterious when you cant look them up.

Jeff you make some good points too, the only thing is about the social proof. I'm still in high school.... its probably one of the most socially intense environments most people will experience in their lives. So whether or not I believe in social proof, its still very real for a lot of people. (Teenage girls especially.) And having this social proof can and will do wonders.

 

[bookman]

just don't tell your life story in that profile
I have seen some profiles where people mention their hobbies, family members, favorite quotes, favorite movies, favorite food, the school they went to, their job etc... I'd just have met this person and got his facebook, now I know everythign about him/her kinda kills the social interactions

basicly there is nothing more left to say, and since women like "mysterious men" I suggest you keep your profile as void of info as possible

 

[gbmack]

In my opinion, facebook should be about connecting with long lost friends or family members.

It can be used as a tool for social proof, but most of it is a waste of time in my opinion.

I know a girl and a boy who both have over 700 friends, many wall posts, many tagged pictures, but I don't really like either of them simply because of the way they are in real life. I don't care if they have pictures of them at parties, or if they're facebook chatting with a hot girl, I simply don't like em.

Summary? If you suck at real life but are good at facebook, facebook will NOT get you anywhere, don't count on it.

However, I do know some people who are pretty cool in "real life." If they just so happen to have social proof on facebook as well, I seem to have more respect for them and I wanna hang out with them. Then again, facebook only acted as a "booster," and not as foundation.

Some people at my school brag about how many pictures or friends they have. It's pathetic.

As for hooking up with girls, it's an okay tool, but it's only for the less experienced. I know my friend got a girlfriend in this exact way. He met a girl in his extended social circle, and he got her name, but not her number. He adds her on facebook, they chat, they exchange AIMs on facebook, they chat some more, they get their phone numbers, after a while they start going out, they live happily ever after.